It’s not terribly tasty, isn’t it? This cousin of cabbage finds its place on our plates because ’it is healthy.’
Indeed, a slew of scientific studies have proved that the effects of broccoli on our health are very positive. The most recent one, which garnered a lot of public attention, talks about the effects on blood sugar levels: a concentrated broccoli extract powder may be an ideal treatment for people with type 2 diabetes because it reduces blood sugar levels by 10%.
In people who have developed type 2 diabetes, the body’s response to insulin, which controls blood sugar levels, is sluggish. Too much glucose in the blood could potentially lead to a number of health issues, such as heart problems, blindness and kidney problems…
So, what’s so special about broccoli? Broccoli sprouts, as well as broccoli buds, which we usually eat, contain sulforaphane which efficiently reduced the blood glucose level in the first research carried out on rats. After this, a study was done in Sweden, albeit on a small sample, on people who suffered from diabetes and took sulforaphane, which revealed that they did not have to take drugs.
The leader of this research, Anders Rosengren of the University of Gothenburg clarified: the concentration of sulforaphane they received was 100 times the size of the one they would take if they ate broccoli for lunch. ’It’s the equivalent of eating five kilograms of broccoli on a daily basis.’ The above-mentioned reduction of the blood glucose level by 10% does not sound consequential, but researchers are delighted because it is quite enough to avoid all complications with the heart, kidneys and eyesight. We will, however, need to wait for the broccoli extract pills for at least two more years.
In the meantime, let’s dive into other important studies. Researchers agree that the above-mentioned sulforaphane is one of the most powerful anti-cancer compounds found in food. ’It boosts the production of enzymes in the liver that destroy cancer-causing chemicals,’ explains Elizabeth Jeffery of the University of Illinois. A 2011 study demonstrated that broccoli helps lungs clean themselves from harmful bacteria, particularly in smokers.
The effects of broccoli have been known for ages. Alain Touwaide, the scientific director of the Institute for the Preservation of Medical Traditions at the Smithsonian in Washington, searches for the lost medical findings from ancient manuscripts. He revealed, for example, that Hippocrates would give a squirting cucumber for a chronic headache, while a man with stomach ache would get chicken soup and lettuce. As for broccoli, it was mainly used for gynaecological problems up to the 3rd century BC when it started to be used for the treatment of digestive problems, and tetanus, and from the 1st century, it was used for skin problems treatment. In ancient Rome, it was considered that all citizens should grow broccoli in their orchards to use as a sort of all-purpose medicine.
Since we now know how healthy broccoli is, let’s return to your plate. It turns out that the taste of broccoli, although not appealing, is also very interesting (for analysing). An interesting study was conducted at Western Sydney University in Australia, in 1993: 600 children aged 5 to 18 were tested. They were tasked with ranking various vegetables according to their taste. Unrivalled, sweet corn took the first place, and peas and carrots (sweet-tasting vegetables) were very high on the list, while broccoli found itself in the middle, along with tomatoes and mushrooms. Cauliflower and Brussels sprouts were at the bottom of the list (due to the strong smell).
Another thing was discovered: eight-year-old boys are 2-5 times more sensitive to basic tastes, sweet and salty, bitter and sour, compared to adults, wrote at the time New Scientist. Big boys like broccoli much more.
M.Đ.
Illustration: Naolito